Georgia beat No. 6 Alabama 20-17 on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, a win that puts the second-ranked Bulldogs in position to take over the No. 1 ranking after Texas lost to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Dwight Phillips Jr. ran for 120 yards and Bo Walker added 69 more as Georgia piled up 206 yards on the ground despite playing without leading rusher Nate Frazier. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton accounted for both Georgia touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground, finishing 18 of 22 passing for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The win marks Georgia’s third over Alabama in their last 11 meetings and its first in a regular-season matchup since 2007.
Bryant-Denny Stadium was packed for the game, which went ahead despite Hurricane Isaias coming ashore the night before. President Trump had been expected to attend but decided not to.
Controversial finish
The game came down to the final minutes, and the ending drew immediate scrutiny. Officials declined to call pass interference on Georgia safety KJ Bolden on a play that appeared to be a clear penalty. On the very next snap, Bolden sacked Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, pushing the Crimson Tide out of field-goal range.
ESPN/ABC rules analyst Matt Austin weighed in after reviewing the play up close: “I didn’t have this close-up view before when I made my comments. 4 is definitely not playing the ball. Definitely gets there early. Ball hits him in the back. This definitely should have been a pass interference call.”
Alabama (5-1, 3-1) still had a shot to get the ball back, but cornerback Dijon Lee was flagged for a personal foul, allowing Georgia (6-0, 4-0) to run out the clock and seal the win.
Russell’s night, Coleman-Williams injuries
Russell finished 16 of 30 for 185 yards with a touchdown and added 41 yards rushing. Alabama’s star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams was knocked out of the game twice. He first went down with an apparent left leg injury in the second quarter after Russell targeted him in the end zone on a broken-up pass from Georgia’s 16-yard line; he could not put weight on the leg and was helped off by trainers.
Coleman-Williams returned after halftime, worked on an exercise bike, and was back on the field to start the third quarter. He was hurt again late in the game when his head appeared to hit the ground while attempting a catch. Trainers took his helmet and walked him to the locker room for a concussion evaluation. He finished the game with three catches for 39 yards.
